THE
San Juan, Puerto Rico
View of El Morro from an airplane
Coin Collector s
Journal
4*
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1948
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Vol. 15, No. 5 New York September'October, 1948
Whole No. 120
THE ISSUES OF AUGUSTUS B. SAGE
By RICHARD D. KENNEY
Augustus B. Sage, the first seeretary
of the American Numismatic and
Archaeological Society, initiated the
publication of several small series of
tokens, or medalets, in 1859.
By the very nature and tasteful exe'
cution of these pieces, their revealing
charm and warmth still obtains to this
day. The dies were engraved by
George H. Lovett whose prolific and
competent medallic output ranks with
Wright, Key, Merriam, and Sigel.
Although Lovett, within his expansive
artistic range, could have been relied
upon to execute the medalets mdc'
pendently, it undoubtably was Mr.
Sage who had the taste to avoid their
deteriorating into tokens with his own
advertising as the leitmotif and the sub'
sequent banalities that would have fob
lowed.
The pieces arc divided into the fob
lowing series:
Historical Tokens (14)
Odds and Ends (3)
Numismatic Gallery (9)
Masonic Medalets (1)
Sage’s Store cards (5)
Originally struck in copper and with
plain edges, the varieties that exist to-
September'October, 1 948
day, e.g., silver, brass, and tin; and
combinations of these metals with plain
or reeded edges or with thick and thin
flans, will not be discussed here. The
sice in all, except the store cards, is
31 mm.
AUG. B SAGE’S HISTORICAL
TOKENS
No. 1 Obv: THE OLD PROVOOST,
N. Y. signed: L
Rev: A BRITISH PRISON
DURING THE REVO'
LUTION. Note: Sage’s
catalogue lists 2 dies.
The Old Provost was located in present
City Hall Park opposite The Brooklyn
Bridge terminal where originally, it was
the old Register’s Office built in 175 8
as a debtor’s prison. Ethan Allan and
many other patriots were confined here.
Torn down in 1903 to make way for
the subway, many coins, buttons, and
human bones were found in the excava
tion. After the Revolution, the Provost
again became a debtors prison, while
in 1830 the edifice was transformed to
the Register's Office. A tablet, erected
in 1907 by the Mary Washington Cob
onial Chapter of the D.A.R., marks its
site today.
99
The Issues of Augustus
4-Iistorical Tokerii/'’
100
September- October, 1 948
The Issues of Augustus B. Sage
No. 2 Obv: CITY HALL, WALL ST
N. Y. ERECTED IN 1700
DEMOLISHED 1812.
Signed : L
Rev: A BRITISH PRISON
DURING THE REVO-
LUTION
City Hall, at the corner of Wall and
Broad Streets, occupied the present site
of the LI. S. Subtreasury Building. Four
days after the Battle of Lexington in
April 1775, a band of Liberty Boys
marched upon City Hall, forced open
the doors, helped themselves to 600
muskets which were distributed to< a
volunteer corps, and assumed the gov-
ernment of the city. After the inspired
reading of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence in the presence of Washing-
ton and his staff, the citizenry, imbued
with a patriotic fervor, rushed down to
the City Hall and tore down the por-
trait of George III. It was from this
balcony that Washington took his oath
of office during the interval that City
Hall served as Federal Hall from 1785
to 1790; while from 1790 to 1797, the
N. Y. State Capital occupied the Hall.
No. 3 Obv: FANEUIL HALL, BOS-
TON, MASS.
Signed: G.H.L.
Rev: THE CRADLE OF
AMERICAN LIBERTY
Built by Peter Faneuil and given by him
to the city in 1742. In spite of the
Quartering Act, the residents of Boston
refused to billet British soldiers and
consequently, many men camped in
Faneuil Hall. It was here, on March
5, 1770, that Sam Adams or William
Molineux delivered his exortive oration
to a crowd that converged in front of
the old State House. Crispus Attucks
fell not long afterward, one of the first
to die in the War of Independence. To-
day, it is a very active public market
place.
No, 4 Obv: CARPENTER'S HALL,
PHILADELPHIA, PENN.
Rev: THE ASSEMBLING
PLACE OF THE FIRST
CONTINENTAL CON-
GRESS SEP. 5, 1774.
UNITE OR DIE
In 1787 Carpenter’s Hall was the scene
of the national convention which formed
the present Constitution. It served
also as headquarters of the Pennsylvania
Committee of Correspondence; its base-
ment was used as an ammunition dump
during the Revolution and from 1791 to
1797 it was occupied by the First Bank
of the U. S. The Carpenters’ Company
erected the building in 1770 and has
preserved it as a historic monument
since 1857.
No. 5 Obv: THE OLD JERSEY
Rev: A BRITISH PRISON
DURING THE REVO-
LUTION
Anchored in the vicinity of the Brook-
lyn Navy Yard, this most infamous of
the floating dungeons was a foul,
neglected hull where prisoners were
housed in the most inhuman atmosphere.
Filth and disease were rampant. A
ghastly sidelight of the sordid ugliness
which prevailed is embodied by the order
awakening the prisoners every morning:
“REBELS, TURN OUT YOUR
DEAD!”
The Prison Ship Martyrs Monument is
located in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park
where it was dedicated by Pres. Taft on
Nov. 14, 1908. A medallic souvenir
also exists of this monument. The
Prisoners Memorial, another stately, if
smaller, reminder, can be seen near the
Broadway and Pine Street side of Trin-
ity Churchyard.
September-October, 1 948
101
The Issues of Augustus B. Sage
Odds an'd Kruds
IVtasoniO'
102
Septembcr'October, 1 948
The Issues of Augustus B. Sage
No. 6 Obv : STATE HOUSE,
PHILADELPHIA
Rev: THE PATRIOTS
RENDEZVOUS IN ’76
Note: Sage’s Catalogue
Lists 2 Dies.
State House, or more commonly, Inde-
pendence Hall, is located on Chestnut
between 5 th and 6th Streets and was
designed by Andrew Hamilton, speaker
of the Assembly in the early part of
the eighteenth century. It' served as the
State House from 175 1 to 1799. The
Second Continental Congress met here
on May 10, 1775, while Washington
was chosen commander-in-chief on June
15, 1775 and the Declaration of Inde-
pendence was adopted on July 4, 1776.
In 1816, the City of Philadelphia pur-
chased the edifice from the State and set'
it aside as a museum.
No. 7 Obv: THE HOME OF
WASHINGTON
MOUNT VERNON
Signed: G.H.L.
Rev: THE WOMEN OF
AMERICA NOBLE
PRESERVERS OF OUR
FATHER’S HOME
Mount Vernon, in Fairfax County, Va.
was originally an estate called Little
Hunting Creek Plantation. From John
Washington in 1676, it passed to his son
Lawrence, then to Lawrence’s daughter,
Mildred, by whom if was deeded in 1726
to her brother Augustine (the father of
George). In 1743, it passed to
Lawrence (George’s half-brother) who
built the villa which was the nucleus of
the larger mansion, and renamed it
Mount Vernon in honor of Admiral
Edward Vernon (1684-1757) with
whom he served in the West Indies and
whose numismatic records arc very pro-
fuse. George Washington acquired the
estate in 1761 after the death of Anne
Fairfax Lee, the widow of Lawrence, and
enlarged the villa into the mansion
house in 1784-5. In 1860, the house and
200 acres of the original estate were
bought by the Mount Vernon Ladies
Ass'n of the Union which was bound
by its charter to restore the estate to the
condition it was in during Washington’s
lifetime. It is to this organization that
the reverse alludes.
No. 8 Obv: THE OLD HASBROOK
HOUSE NEWBURG,
N. Y. Signed: G.H.L.
Rev: WASHINGTON’S
HEADQUARTERS
1782-3
Built by Jonathan Hasbrouck between
1750 and 1770, it served as Washing-
ton’s headquarters from the spring of
1782 until August 1783. It was here
that Washington had written his fam-
ous and stinging letter of rebuke to Col.
Lewis Nicola who had suggested that
Washington assume royal prerogatives
and titles; and here arrangements were
completed to disband the Continental
Army.
Located in Newburgh’s Washington
Park, it was bought as a historic site by
New York State in 1849.
No. 9 Obv: RICHMOND HILL
HOUSE, N. Y.
ERECTED 1760
Rev: WASHINGTON’S
HEADQUARTERS
MAY 1776
The site now occupied by the Butterick
Building at the corner of Varick and
Charlton Streets, Richmond Hill House
was once tenanted by Abraham Mortier,
paymaster-general of the Royal Forces
before the Revolution. It was one of
Washington’s first headquarters when
he occupied it during the Battle of Long
Island. Later, the structure served as a
Vice- Presidential residence and both
John Adams and Aaron Burr made use
of it as such.
September-October, 1948
103
Thl Issues of Augustus B. Sage
No. 10 Ohv : WASHINGTON’S
HEADQUARTERS
AT TA1TAN
Rev: LIBERTY TREE
Less than an hour’s drive from New
York City, the Johannes de Wint
homestead was built in 1700 by Daniel
de Clark who had imported the briek
from Holland. It is a typical one-story
dwelling whose design came naturally
to the Dutch settlers of the area.
The following dates arc the four times
Washington used the house as a refuge:
Aug. 8-23, 1780; Sept. 28-Oet. 7, 1780;
May 5-8, 1783; and Nov. 1 1-13, 1783.
No. 11 Obv: WASHINGTON’S
HEADQUARTERS, AT
V ALLEY FORGE
Rev: DON'T TREAD ON
ME. I HAVE DANGER-
OUS FANGS
Built in 175 8, this dwelling was the
center in the scene of one of the bitter-
est and most critical periods of the war.
In 1893, the State of Pennsylvania ap-
pointed a commission which acquired
about 475 acres of the historic site in
addition to the Headquarters and sev-
eral other buildings.
No. 12 Obv: SIR HENRY
CLINTON’S HOUSE.
No. 1 BROADWAY,
N. Y.
Rev: THE HEADQUARTERS
OF GENL. PUTNAM
AND SIR H. CLINTON
This dwelling was, before 1776, the
commodious residence of Archibald
Kennedy, a member of the Governor’s
Council and Collector of the Port. Be-
fore Howe’s successor as British Com-
mander in North America occupied it,
General Putnam had used it as his head-
quarters in the bleak days immediately
before the city fell to the British in its
entirety. The site is now occupied by
the Washington Building where a com-
memorative tablet was placed by the
Sons of the Revolution.
No. 13 Obv: THE OLD SWAMP
CHURCH ERECTED
1767
Rev: ATTENDED BY THE
HESSIANS DURING
THE REVOLUTION
Officially, the Christ Lutheran Church,
it was built in 1767 on the corner of
Frankfort and William Streets. In 1831,
it was purchased by a Negro Presby-
terian Congregation and in 1848 it
deteriorated into an auction room fol-
lowed by a livery stable. The Globe
Hotel, since razed and now located on
44th Street, was later erected on the
site.
No. 14 Obv : FIRST MEETING
HOUSE ERECTED IN
HARTFORD
Rev: THE CHARTER OAK
According to R. H. Potter in "Hart-
ford's First Church”, the first meeting
house was built in 1635 and given by
the town to Rev. Hixiker in 1640-41 at
which time the permanent meeting house
was built and used until 1740. The
structure depicted here obviously is the
first, or temporary, meeting house.
The Charter Oak was the famous hid-
ing-place of the document when Sir
Edmund Andros tried to revoke the
Charter in 1687. The original is now
preserved in the Connecticut State Li-
brary at Hartford. The tree was blown
down in 1856 and its site is marked by
a marble shaft erected in 1907 by the
Connecticut Society of Colonial Wars.
ODDS AND ENDS
No. 1 Obv: CRYSTAL PALACE
BUILT 1853 BURNED
1858. Signed: L
Rev: ALL IS VANITY
Crystal Palace housed the first industrial
exposition held in this country. Erected
in what is now Bryant Park, it was
P. T. Barnum who was the exhibition’s
president and whose genius undoubtably
was responsible for its success.
104
September-Oetober, 1 948
The Issues of Augustus B. Sage
No. 2 Obv: OLD SUGAR HOUSE,
LIBERTY ST. N. Y.
FOUNDED 1689
DEMOLISHED 1840.
Signed : L
Rev: A BRITISH PRISON
DURING THE REVO'
LUTION
Note: Another variety of
this medal has the date in
3 lines and the fence is
slightly higher.
Called Livingston’s Sugar House in its
day, it was located at 2 8' 3 6 Liberty
Street. A tablet, placed by the Man-
hattan Chapter of the D.A.R. marks
its site today.
Another prison, omitted by Sage, was
the Rhinelander Sugar House at Duane
and Rose Streets; it was memorialized
in a medal by Emil Sigel struck around
1892.
Responsibility lor the sufferings and
deaths in these prisons lay with Cun-
ningham, the British Provost-Marshal
in New York. It is claimed that up-
wards of 10,000 men had died under
his evil whip. A vindictive climax came
to his career when, a number ot years
after the war, he was convicted of
forgery in London, and hanged.
No. 3 Obv: PAUL MORPHY, THE
AMERICAN CHESS
KING
Rev: HE HAS BEATEN
HARRWITZ IN CHESS
PLAYING AND
STAUNTON IN
COURTESY
Paul Charles Morphy (1837-1884) was
established as the world’s chess master
after a series of matches in Europe in
the years 1857-59. He then served on
the staff of the N. Y. Ledger, and in
later life became mentally deranged.
MASONIC MEDALETS
No. 1 Obv: OLD MASONIC HALL,
BROADWAY, N. Y.
ERECTED 1827
DEMOLISHED 1856
Rev: YOUTH, MANHOOD
OLD AGE
DOMESTIC COINAGE EXECUTED, BY MINTS,
DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST, 1948.
Denomination Philadelphia
SILVER
Half dollars
Quarter dollars $1,130,000.00
Dimes 1,195,000.00
San Francisco
$ 660,000.00
1,100,000.00
MINOR
Five-cent pieces ; 796,400.00
One-cent pieces 10,000.00
Denver
$174,300.00
590,000.00
475, 600. IX)
132,300.00
Septcmber-Oetober, 1948
105
STORY AND DESICN
OC MODERN COINS
MADAGASCAR
CW #1
In May 1942 the British forces, CO'
operating with the Free French, seized
the naval base at Diego Suarez in Mad.o
gascar. Later in the year they neutral'
ized all ot the island to eliminate Jap'
anese and Nazi espionage and to remove
the threat of secret Axis submarine re'
fueling stations. The civil administra'
tion was turned over to the Free French
and, following the example of other
Free French colonies, the Treasurer'
( General proceeded to order the issuance
of 1 franc and 50 centime coins of
distinctive design for the Colony. Until
that time, Madagascar had used the
coins of metropolitan France.
The pieces were struck .it the South
African Mint in Pretoria from designs
executed by Mr. Coert L. Steynberg of
Pretoria. The obverse of both coins
displays a Gallic coq facing left with
the letters R F on a shield to the left
and the legend MADAGASCAR below.
In the center of the reverse is the double'
barred cross of Lorraine and the value.
Above is the phrase LIBERTE'EGAL'
ITE'FRATERNITE and below the
date, 1943. To the left is the word
HONNELJR and to the right, PATH IE.
The coins are of bronze alloy, consisting
of 9 5 (Z copper, 4.5 % zinc and .5%
tin. A total ot 5,000,000 1 franc pieces
and 2,000,000 50 centimes pieces were
struck.
MONACO
CW #5
Monaco, an independent principality
on the Mediterranean, surrounded by
the French Department of the Alpes
Maritimes except on the side towards
the sea, is the site of the famous gambling
casino of Monte Carlo. The fabulous
gaming rooms are the chief source of
revenue ot the government and they
provide Monaco with enough operating
income to exempt its citizens from most
ot the taxes which burden the in'
habitants of other countries.
Since 1297 the principality has be'
longed to the house of Grimaldi, the
ruler now being Louis 11 (born 1870).
His portrait appears on the issue of two
franc pieces struck in 1943 both in
aluminum bronze (CW #^)‘and alum'
inum (CW #7). The two coins are of
similar type bearing the portrait of the
Prince on the obverse and the arms of
the Principality on the reverse. The
aluminum pieces were the first put into
circulation by virtue of an Ordinance
of July 1 9, 1943 while the bronze alum'
inum coins were not' emitted until air
thorized by the Ordinance of April 3,
1945.
Altho the coins are not dated, they
were struck in 1943 at the Castelsar'
rasin Annex of the Paris Mint from
models executed by Monsieur Bazor
ot the latter institution. 1,082,687 of
the bronze aluminum variety were struck
and 1,250,000 of the aluminum variety.
106
September'October, 1 948
STORY AND DESIGN
OP MODERN COINS
FRENCH WEST AFRICA
CW #1
French West Africa is a federation
composed of Senegal, French Guinea,
Ivory Coast, Dahomey, French Sudan,
Mauritania, Niger, Togo and Circon-
seription de Dakar. The federation
joined the Allied Forces in November
1942 when Admiral Darlan issued a
proclamation calling on all citizens to
cooperate with the British and Amer-
icans. The most sought after prize which
fell into the hands of the Allies was
Dakar with its splendid port facilities
and the many units of the French fleet
immobilized there.
Two years later the French authorities
requested the Royal Mint in London
to strike fifteen million one franc pieces
in nickel brass (CW #1). The designs
of both the reverse and obverse of the
pieces were similar to the 1921 issue
for Metropolitan France modeled by
Morion. New matrices were cut direct
by hand at the Royal Mint. These
deviated only slightly from the French
models. The name of the designer was
omitted from the obverse and the orig-
inal reverse legend LIBERTE-EGAL-
ITE-FRATERNITE was replaced by
AFRIQUE OCCIDENTALE FRAN-
CAISE. In addition, the mint marks
which originally appeared on either side
of the date were left off.
The alloy of the pieces is 79% cop-
per, 20% zinc and 1 % nickel. The
weight is 4 grams and the diameter
23 mm. The coins have a plain edge.
YUGOSLAVIA
CW #20
World War II brought to Yugoslavia
a multiplicity and confusion of cur-
rencies. By the middle of 1944 as many
as eight different monetary standards
were being used in the country. These
included Yugoslav dinars, Serbian dinars,
Croatian kunas, Italian lire, German
marks, Magyar pengos, Bulgarian levas
and Albanian francs. Currency stabili-
zation was indeed one of the most press-
ing problems confronting the govern-
ment.
In July 1945 both pre-war and occu-
pation coins were withdrawn from cir-
culation and replaced by new coins is-
sued under the “Law Governing the
Minting of Small Coins" of July 25,
1945. This law authorized the coinage
of metallic currency totaling 500 million
dinars in four denominations.
The coin of highest value provided
for by this legislation was the 5 dinar
piece (CW #20). The design of this
and the pieces of lesser value were simi-
lar, consisting of the arms of the Federal
People’s Republic of Yugoslavia in the
center with the legend “YLJGO-
SLAVIA" in block cyrillic characters
above and nine stars in a half circle
below. The reverse has in the center
the numeral of value with “DINAR",
“DINARS" or “PARA", as the ease
may be, written in Latin characters. Be-
low is the date, 1945, and surrounding
the value are fifteen stars. All of the
pieces arc of zinc.
September-October, 1948
107
SPANISH COINS FOUND AT
SAN JUAN. PUERTO RICO
By PH ARES O. SIGLER
A box of Spanish coins of Isabella II
dated 1853, 1854 were found on Sep-
tember 22, 1943 during the excavation
of a waterpipe line at Fort Brooke, San
Juan, Puerto Rico, when a laborer ac-
cidentally drilled through a cornerstone
of Ballaja Barracks, the construction of
which began in 1857 and was com-
pleted in 1864. The coins were well
wrapped in plain white paper and en-
closed in a lead box. The reason the
coins arc dated several years prior to
the date ot the laying of the corner-
stone is doubtless due to the fact that
new coins were, at that time, slow in
finding their way from Spain to Puerto
Ri co. The coins are all of the type as
illustrated by No. 99 on page 110 in
Coins ot the World.
The original barracks building in
which the coins were found was con-
structed by the Spaniards at a cost ot
about $475,000, a huge sum in those
days, and it was large enough to house
2,000 troops. The building formed a
rectangle with an open patio in the
eenter which was spacious enough for a
parade and drill grounds. Beneath was
a large cistern divided into three parts
with a capacity of 475,120 gallons of
water. The original structure has been
remodeled and repaired and at the
present time it houses part ot Rodrigues
General Hospital at Fort Brooke.
The old Ballaja Barracks is of histori-
cal importance because it was one of
the buildings damaged by the bombard-
ment ot San Juan by Admiral Samp-
son’s fleet on May 12, 1898 during the
Spanish American War.
The entire story ot the old barracks
cannot be told without a brief descrip-
tion ot the El Morro fortifications with-
in which it is located. This fortification
is at the extreme western tip of the
Island of San Juan and constitutes the
western apex ot the present Army post
ot Fort Brooke. It is one of the main
tourist attractions of the Island of
Puerto Rico. El Morro, in Spanish,
means the bluff or headland, and it is
an appropriate name for the old fort
since it is built of stone on a rocky
promontory which rises over a hundred
feet above the ocean.
The first Spaniards reaching Puerto
Rico realized the need of some forti-
fication on this high point because all
ships visiting the Island had to pass
through a narrow channel between it
and Cabras Island at the mouth of San
Juan Bay. Although a tower was con-
structed at the present site of El Morro
in 1539, and offered some protection,
the Spaniards decided that a more elab-
orate and efficient fortification should
be erected which would afford adequate
safeguard from attack by land as well
as by sea. In 1590, Juan Bautista An-
tonelli, an architect-engineer, arrived in
San Juan from Spain to design the new
fortification. His visit was referred to
by Governor de Valdes in a letter in
which he states: ”The forte when it is
ended will be the strongest that his
magestie hath in all the Indies. And
now the people of the country sleep in
security. For commonly before, the
Englishmen would come and beard us
to the haven’s mouth.”
The new plans were laboriously exe-
cuted by native and negro workers, but
it was near the middle of the next cen-
tury before the project was completed.
Despite minor alterations in the 19th
and 20th centuries, and extensive re-
pairs and restorations which were made
by the W. P. A. during the depression,
El Morro still stands as a splendid ex-
ample of ancient fortifications.
Some ot the more interesting fea-
tures of El Morro are the entrance,
108
Septcmber-October, 1948
Spanish Coins Found at San Juan, Puerto Rico
which is approached hy means of a
small bridge over a moat; numerous
sentry boxes so located at the outer
angles of the bastions and parpet waits
that sentries posted in them could ob-
serve not only the landward and sea-
ward approaches to the fort, but the
base of the walls as well; secret tunnels;
an ingenious system for catching rain
water falling anywhere on the fort and
conveying it by means of gutters into
a large cistern below where it was
stored for use by the troops and people
of San Juan in case of a siege; the tiny
chapel with its round windows slanting
through the thick walls in such a man-
ner as to protect worshippers from rifle
and shell fire in case their prayers for
safety should prove ineffective; and the
ramp used to bring ammunition from a
lower level, the stone floor at the top
of which still bears deep grooves made
by the ropes used to pull heavily loaded
carts to the top.
El Morro witnessed four great at-
tacks on San Juan in a thirty year
period from 1595 to 1625; one by the
English under command of Drake in
1 595 and other by the great English
corsair, George Clifford, Earl of Cum-
berland, in 1598, and still another by
the Dutch under Hendrick in 162 5.
Only the Earl of Cumberland succeeded
in capturing the Fort. He attacked it
at its weakest point, the entrance on the
landward side, and after laying siege
to it his artillery fire was so effective
that the garrison holding the Fort was
compelled to surrender. Many years
later the fort suffered slight damage
from Admiral Sampson’s fleet.
El Morro is a beautiful spot which
almost defies description. Approach-
ing it through the entrance to Fort
Brooke one sees a grass covered area
fringed by palm trees and the old
walls of the fort, beyond which is the
blue Atlantic. The Bay can be seen
from El Morro as well as the old wall
of the fort, quiet San Juan Bay with
the Atlantic in the distance, the pic-
turesque Cabras Island with its ruins
of a former leper colony, connected to
the mainland by a causeway, and the
mountains on the mainland.
A visit to El Morro is well worth a
trip to Puerto Rico, not to mention
many other places of interest in and
around San Juan.
DOMESTIC COINAGE EXECUTED, BY MINTS,
DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, 1948.
Denomination Philadelphia San Francisco
SILVER
Half dollars
Quarter dollars $ 313,000.00 $ 630,000.00
Dimes 715,000.00 1,050,000.00
MINOR
Five-cent pieces 931,800.00
One-cent pieces 5,700.00
Denver
$ 144,000.00
593,000.00
258.600.00
222.800.00
COINAGE EXECUTED FOR FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.
Mint Country
Philadephia Mint Cuba
Philadephia Mint Cuba
Metal Denomination
Silver 20 Centavos
Silver 10 Centavos
Total Pieces
3.640.000
5.120.000
8,760,00
Septcmber-October, 1948
109
COINS OF THE WORLD
SOUTH AFRICA
A thoughtful and comprehensive
study ot the desirability and practicabil-
ity of decimalizing the currency of
South Africa is contained in the "Main
Report” of the Decimal Committee of
the National Anti- Waste & Conserva-
tion Organization of Johannesburg.
The report of the committee, headed by
Mr. J. T. Bccklakc, ex-Director of the
South African Mint, tabulates and
summarizes the divergent views of
numerous groups consulted and after
evaluating the mass of testimony makes
the recommendation that the govern-
ment take the necessary steps to set
up a decimal currency system for South
Africa. The Committee leans towards
a system under which the unit of value
will be the South African florin divided
into 100 cents and equal in value to
two of shillings (current standard).
Silver coins of the proposed new system
will be in denominations of two florins,
one florin, 50 cents, 20 cents and 10
cents. Proposed bronze pieces will be
issued in values of 4 cents, 2 cents and
1 cent.
The present Director ot the South
African Mint expressed these views
"that the present time was a golden op-
portunity to make a change and a
similar chance would probably never
arise again. A better series ot coins
could be set up. Should the designs in
the coins be altered, the South African
Mint would require approximately two
years before the striking ot a decimal
coinage could be put into full operation.
Should the same designs be used for all
or some of the coins, the Mint could
get into production on the new coinage
within twelve months.”
CANADA
The Report of the Master ot the
Royal Canadian Mint for the calendar
year 1947 shows the following coin-
age—
Silver (800 tine) Pcs. coined in 1947
1 dollar 65,595
50 cents 424,885
2 5 cents 1,524,554
10 cents 4,431,926
Nickel
5 cents 7,603,724
Bronze
1 cent 31,093,901
Coinage for Newfoundland
Silver (800 tine)
10 cents 119,736
5 cents 310,750
Bronze
1 cent 313,772
COLOMBIA
Mr. P. K. Anderson of Bogota has
submitted the following details regard-
ing recent issues of coinage for Colom-
bia.
50 centavos struck in Bogota
1947, 48
20 centavos struck in Bogota
1945, 46, 47, 48
10 centavos struck in Bogota
1945, 46, 47, 48
5 centavos struck in U. S. —
1946, 47
2 centavos struck in Bogota
1946, 47
1 centavo struck in Bogota
1946, 47, 48
Mr. Anderson has also supplied us
w ith an explanation for the issue of
half peso surcharged paper notes which
appeared in 1946. In January 1946
there was an acute shortage of coinage
and to remedy the situation the Gov-
ernment arranged to have current one
peso paper notes cut in half and sur-
charged on the obverse "BANCO DE
LA REPUBLICA PROVISIONSL
MEDIO PESO”. The reverses were
surcharged "MEDIO PESO”. These
notes circulated for a period of only
five months (from January 1946 until
110
September-October, 1948
Coins of the World
May 1946). In May 1946 all outstand'
mg half peso notes were recalled and
demonetized. Those notes which were
turned in were later destroyed.
CHILE
. The following is a summary of the
production of the Casa de Moneda of
Chile furnished thru the courtesy of
that institution.
Copper Nickel
1 peso
20 centavos
10 centavos
1940
1 50,000
9,300,000
6,100,000
1941
3,000,000
900,000
Bronze
1 P<‘SO
50 centavos
20 centavos
1942
15,150,000
4,700,000
30,000,000
1943
16,900,000
15,000
39,600,000
1944
12,050,000
29,100,000
1945
7,600,000
1 1,400,000
1946
2,050,000
13,800,000
1947
2,200,000
15,700,000
The
coinage
struck from
1942 to
1947 conforms to these specifications—
Denom.
Alloy
Diam.
Wgt.
mm.
gr.
1 peso
Copper 95.5
25
7.5
Tin 3.0
Zinc 1.5
50 centavos
Zinc 1.5
20.5
4.0
20 centavos
Zinc 1.5
18.0
3.0
The Mint also reports gold coinage
as follows-
Denom. Fineness Diam. Weight
100 pesos 900 31. mm 20.3 3966 gr.
Pieces coined in 1946 — 260,000
Pieces coined in 1947 - — - 540,000
The Casa de Moneda of Chile also
undertook considerable coinage for
Uruguay as follows-
Coinage for Uruguay
Copper Nickel
5 eentesimos 2 eentesimos
1941 2,400,000 1,500,000
Septembcr'October, 1 94<S
Silver
1 peso 50 eentesimos 20 eentesimos
1942 650,000 3,900,000
1943 4,980,000 3,200,000 8,840,000
1944 3,370,000 7,600,000 5,260,000
Bronze
5 eentesimos
2 eentesimos
1943
5,000,000
1944
4,000,000
3,500,000
1945
1946
2,000,000
5,000,000
1947
1,500,000
1,500,000
The specifications of the
current is'
sues of coins
follow—
Denom.
Alloy
Diam. Wgt.
mm. gr.
1 peso
Silver 72 %
27 9
Copper 28 %
50 eentesimos
Copper 28 %
24 7
20 eentesimos
Copper 28 %
18.5 3
5 eentesimos
Copper 95.5%
23 5
Tin 3.0%
Zinc 1.5%
2 eentesimos
Zinc 1.5%
20 3.5
BLJRMA
The Burma
Currency Board has in'
formed us that Indian coins of the
customary denominations are still in
use in Burma. No distinctive coins for
Burma have as yet been sanctioned
altho the Government expects to intro'
duce coinage of distinctive design by
July 1949. As Burma has no local mint
the early issues of Burmese coinage will
undoubtedly be coined at the Indian
mints.
COSTA RICA
The two colones coin has recently
been put into circulation in Costa Rica
This new piece, authorized by Law of
March 5, 1947, is of the same type as
the 193 5 and 1937 issues. The diameter
of the piece is 32 mm. and its weight 14
gr. The pieces were minted at the
Royal Mint in London. The Law re'
fcrred to above also authorizes coins of
1 colon, 50 centimos and 25 centimos
and it is expected that these three de'
nominations will appear by the early
part of 1 949.
1 1 1
Coins of the World
RUMANIA
The wartime coinage of Michael I of
Rumania affords a striking commentary
on the financial difficulties of the king-
dom during that period. Michael suc-
ceeded to the throne in September 1940,
following the abdication of his father,
Carol 11. Two months later, General
(later Marshal) Antonescu forced the
country into the war on the side of the
Axis and brought upon his nation a
series of unparalleled disasters, not the
least of which was a tremendous mone-
tary inflation. The overthrow of An-
tonescu in August 1944 and the defec-
tion of Rumania as an Axis power failed
to halt the depreciation of the currency.
A new monetary system was established
by Law of August 15, 1947 and all
coinage struck prior to that date was
demonetized. New coinage was struck
and circulated in accordance with a
Royal Decree of August 19, 1947
(Number 1689) which made provision
for these coins
1
Metal
Diameter Weight
5 0 Bani
Brass
16 mm. .7 grams
1 Leu
Brass
18 mm. 2.5 grams
2 Lei
Tombac
21 mm. 2. 5 grams
5 Lei
Alum.
22 mm. 1.5 grams
NUMBER OF COINS STRUCK
r\v
Metal X-
No.
1 lenoni.
1941
1942
1 9-4 a
1944
1945
1946
1947
Zinc
>
Jan. 1 - Aug. 15
58
2 Lei
2 5,400,000
51,400,000
16,600,000
4,94 2,000
1,000,000
1 0G,00C
50,000
57
5 Lei
6,800,000
101,000,000
16,600,000
1 5,500,000
39,962
56
20 Lei
30,500,000
26,9 2 5,000
7.500.000
9,806.000'
907,000
Nickel-Iron
5 5
100 Lei
40,590,000
1 4,500.000
6,789.000
Silver .835 %
54
200 Lei
24, 1 20,000
5,880,000
5 3
2 50 Lei
8,5 59,600
51
500 Lei
4 1 8,000
289,000
86,000
Silver .700%
52
500 Lei
8,980,000
75 2,000
Brass
6 3
500 Lei
1 ,000,000
2,422,000
Aluminum
64
500 Lei
3,640,000
1,600,000
Brass
62
2000 Lei
22,310,000
1,300
61
10000 Lei
1 1,050,000
Silver .700%
60
25000 Lei
1 976 000
59
100000 Lei
1.5 56.000
444
1 12
September-October, 1 94S
Our Specialty is
UNITED STATES COINS IN SETS
Selected Specimens
Small Cents. Flying eagle and Indian
head 1856 to 1909. Including 1864 L
and both mint marks. Uncirculated.
Small Cents. The same set, all of the
coins in proof condition except 1864 L
and two mint marks.
Small Cents. Lincoln head 1909 to 1947.
Includes all dates and mint marks. Un-
circulated.
Two Cent Pieces. 1864 to 1873 includes
the 1864 with small motto uncirculated.
Balance of coins in proof condition.
Two Cent Pieces. 1864 to 1873 same
as preceding. All uncirculated except
1873 proof.
Nickle Three Cents. 1865 to 1889 in-
cludes both varieties of 1887. Proofs.
Nickel Three Cents. 1865 to 1889
Dates 1865 to 1876 uncirculated, bal-
ance proofs.
Nickel Five Cents. 1866-1883 Shield
type. Includes both varieties of 1867.
Proofs with the exception of 1867 with
rays, uncirculated.
Nickel Five Cents. 1883-1912. Liberty
head. Includes both varieties of 1883.
Proofs.
Nickel Five Cents. 1913-1938. Indian
head. Includes all dates and mints. Un-
circulated with exception of 1926 S,
1927 S very fine.
Nickel Five Cents. 1938-1947. Includes
all dates and mints. Uncirculated.
Silver Three Cents. 1851-1873. In-
cludes 1851 O. Dates 1851 to 1857
uncirculated, 1858 to 1873 proofs.
Half Dimes. Philadelphia mint. 1858
to 1873. Proofs.
Dimes. 1858 to 1896. Philadelphia
mint. Proofs.
Dimes. 1892 to 1916 Philadelphia
mint. Proofs except 1916.
Dimes. 1916 to 1945. Mercury head.
All dates and mints. Uncirculated.
Quarter Dollars. 1858 to 1891. Phila-
delphia mint. Proofs.
Quarter Dollars. 1892 to 1916. Phila-
delphia mints. Proofs, except 1916.
Quarter Dollars. Washington head.
1932 to 1947. All dates and mints.
Uncirculated.
Half Dollars. 1858 to 1891. Phila-
delphia mint. Proofs.
Half Dollars. 1892 to 1915. Phila-
delphia mint. Proofs.
Silver Dollars. 1878 to 1904, 1921.
Philadelphia mint. Proofs.
Peace Dollars. 1921 to 1935. All dates
and mints struck. Uncirculated.
Trade Dollars. 1873 to 1883. Proofs.
Commemorative Half Dollars. Complete
set of the 47 types. Uncirculated.
Commemorative Gold Dollars and
quarter eagles 1903 to 1926. Uncircu-
lated.
Prices quoted on request.
NEW AND SUPPLEMENTARY PAGES
NOW AVAILABLE FOR
THE NATIONAL COIN ALBUM
%
(Large Size (7\ 2 x 14 inches)
No. lOS'R Nickel Five Cents 1939S to date. Supplements pages No. 106, 108,
108A. 40 openings 1.50
No. 210 Mint or proof sets. Holds six sets of five coins each in U. S. denomina^
tions of Halt and Quarter Dollar, Dime, Nickel and Cents. Titled at top of
page, “U. S. Mint Sets.” 30 openings 1.50
Small Size (5^/z x 8 inches)
No. 3 50-F Lincoln Cents from 1938 S to 1947S. Supplements Set No. 3 50. The
next page will be made after a few more new issues have been struck. 28
openings .80
Plain page No. 450 can be used with this set.
No. 377'E Lincoln Cents from 1939S to 1946. Supplements Set No. 377. The
next page will be made after a few more issues are struck. 21 openings .80
Plain page No. 477 can be used with this set.
No. 3 58T Jefferson Nickels 194 3D to date. Supplements page No. 358'E. 18
openings .80
No. 374'E Mercury Dimes from 1940D to 1945. This page ends Set No. 374 as
1945 is the last of the type. Plain page No. 4 56 can be used with this set.
18 openings .80
No. 380-C Washington Quarters from 1 94 3 S to 1946. The next page will be
made after a few more new issues are struck. Page No. 416 can be used with
this set. 10 openings .80
No. 365-G Liberty Standing Halt Dollars tor 1946 and 1947. This page ends
Set No. 365 as 1947 is the last of the type. Plain page No. 449 can be used
with this set. 8 openings .80
No. 349'L Commemorative Half Dollars from 1939S Arkansas to 1948 B. T.
Washington. Holds two of the last issue mentioned. The next page for this
set will be made when more eommemoratives have been made. Page No. 449
(plain) can be used with this set. 10 openings .80
Due to additional pages, the following price changes should be noted on any of our
old National Coin Album descriptive circulars.
NOW
Set No. 349 Commemorative Half Dollars — formerly 8.80 9.60
Set No. 3 58-E, F Jefferson Nickels 1.60
NOW
Set No. 365 Liberty Standing Half Dollars — formerly 4.80 5.60
Jwo ImpjDAhxnL bookju
(tfL ihsL follachSL
Jimitpi. CoittlL
COINS OF THE WORLD
Nineteenth Century Issues
First Edition 1947
Edited by Wayte Raymond
Contains an extensive list of all the silver and minor eoins of the countries
of the world, their colonies and dependencies. Gives the average valua-
tions. Geographical arrangement of contents. Extensively illustrated.
Large 8vo. Cloth. Price $3.50
atui
COINS OF THE WORLD
Twentieth Century Issues
Third Edition 1948
Edited by Wayte Raymond
Lists and illustrates all types of world coinage from 1901 to present day.
The standard reference work on modern world coinage. Approximately
4000 coins are illustrated, and valuations given.
Large 8vo. Cloth. Price $3.50
— Available from any coin dealer —
PUBLISHED BY
WAYTE RAYMOND, INC.
MINEOLA, N. Y.
P. O. BOX 431
QlUlL fmbliAhscL
19 4 9
(l3tli Edition)
THE STANDARD CATALOGUE OF
UNITED STATES COINS
C outputs
Early American Coins, Coins of the States, U. S. Gold, Silver, Copper
Coins, Private Gold Coins, U. S. Pattern Coins, Commemorative Coins,
Encased Postage Stamps, Confederate States Coins, Coins of the Philippine
Islands, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Danish West Indies. With complete mint
reports and General Information on U. S. Coins.
Giving the average valuations among collectors
and dealers. With over 1000 illustrations
Edited by
WAYTE RAYMOND
8 vo. Cloth hound — pages 232
May be obtained from any coin dealer
Published by
WAYTE RAYMOND, INC.
MINEOLA, N. Y.
P. O. BOX 431
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